Three days of beautiful weather and a brisk breeze that built daily wrapped up on Sunday with two great champions at the Goat: Alden Harris winning the MPO title and Ohn Scoggins winning her second FPO title at Goat Hill Park. Harris, on tour out of Woodstock, GA returned to Goat Hill Park after playing in the 2021 Silver Series event and jumped onto the lead card for round 2 with an opening round 1041-rated, 10-under 58. Cody Kirkland, no stranger to the lead card at the Goat shot the hot score in round 1 with a 12-under, 1055-rated 56, setting the course record for the newly-modified Goat Hill Park layout. Five players (Josh Anthon, Jacob Blair, Jacob Courtis, Luke Samson and Levi Hancock) tied for third after the first round with 9-under 59s.
Alden stretched out his lead in round 2, setting a new course record with a bogey-free, 13 under, 1069-rated 55. Luke Samson stepped up from the group occupying third with a 10-under 58 that pulled him into second place. Drew Gibson and Parker Welck were the only other double-digit under par scorers in round 2, which earned them spots on the final round lead card, six shots behind Harris. Drew closed strong – 5-under on the final four holes, including an eagle 3 on the newly lengthened par 5 16th hole.
Sunday’s play added a bit of drama, as Harris did not simply run away with the title. It looked like Gibson might author an amazing come-from-behind story as he made up 4 of his 6 throw deficit through eight holes, until a bogey on the big downhill hole 10 stopped his charge toward victory. Samson started slow in round 3, spotting Harris two more strokes on holes 1 and 2 to put himself six behind the leader. But the he made of those six throws on holes 3 through 12, capping that run off with an eagle on the signature hole 12. Samson’s bogey on 13 provided Harris with his final margin of victory, although Samson still had a chance to pull even on hole 17 if it weren’t for a missed putt inside circle 1.
Alden Harris’ one-throw victory gave him his second career A-tier win (the other being the 2020 Music City Open) and the $1,709 pay day was the largest disc golf payout so far of his career.
The 2022 Challenge at Goat Hill Park provided another classic Ohn Scoggins/Jennifer Allen duel on the FPO side. Round 1 started off with Allen holding the hot hand, as she fired an 8-under par 62 that had only one blemish – a double bogey 5 on hole 9 aided by a rude rollaway. Scoggins lurked three throws back at 5-under, followed by Maria Oliva at 3-under and Chelsea Howells at +1. Fortunes flip-flopped on day 2 – Scoggins had the hot hand and set an FPO course record with a 9-under, 994-rated and bogey-free 61. Allen started slow, parring the first eleven hole but then shook off the cobwebs as she birdied six of the last seven holes en route to a 6-under 64 and a tie at the top for first place after two rounds. Oliva’s 4-under round 2 left her seven shots behind the leaders. Round 3 was played in a testy ocean breeze, and Ohn Scoggins set the story line with steady play early and then a turkey, birdieing holes 5, 6 and 7 to take a solid lead, finishing with a 5-under 65 and a total of 19 under par. Jennifer Allen ended up three throws back in second at 16-under while Maria Oliva completed the Team Innova sweep in FPO with her third place finish.
The MPO and FPO fields were joined on the course Saturday and Sunday with three divisions of age-protected PDGA pro players. Team Innova’s Chris Shotwell cruised to a five-throw win in MP40, closing with a 1009-rated 65 on Sunday. In MP50, Sergio Celis lapped the field, throwing two 1000+ rated rounds on the weekend to win by seven throws over a seasoned crew. And in MP60, San Diego veteran disc golfer Jeff Nichols bested Chula Vista’s Mike Reeves by one throw – the difference decided on the final hole when Reeves bogeyed.
We’d like to thank all of the volunteers who came out for the tournament days and for course et-up and tear-down – this event cannot happen without your hard work. Many thanks also to our friends at Innova Disc Golf, who provided us with access to many, many fundraiser discs that we sold for pro payout and other expenses. And thanks again to our colleagues at Goat Hill Park for allowing us access to this amazing golf course for a fantastic weekend of professional disc golf. We’re looking forward to 2023!
